Whether served with tortilla chips or atop a quesadilla, guacamole is the chunky, creamy avocado-based mixture we've come to love. Here are 20 places in the Valley where you can find the dip that makes all other dips green with envy.

Phoenix

Barrio Cafe

Watch your Guacamole del Barrio made with flair, prepared right at your table after dinner service commences, with creamy avocados, tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice and a dollop of pomegranate seeds for color and crunch ($11.50).

Share the guacamole or pig out all by yourself with this dip made from avocados, Serrano chiles, onions, tomatillos, orange and cotija cheese, served with tortilla chips ($4.50 for a single, $7 to share, add $1 to substitute raw veggies for chips).

How about some nachos with your guacamole? Old Pueblo's signature guacamole is the star of the Old Pueblo Nachos, a pile of chips with beans and cheese, lettuce, sour cream and choice of chicken, green-chile beef or red-chile beef ($9.95).

It's all about fusion here and the guac is no exception. Go with the dried apricots and cranberries and pomegranate ($11) concoction, or explore the savory side with the bacon version, made with chicharrones and queso cojita ($11).

At Iron Chef Jose Garces' restaurant, the regular guacamole is prepared with avocado, roasted jalapenos and cojita cheese ($10), but you can make it extra special with the addition of real crabmeat ($5 extra).

Simple and classic, this rendition is a favorite of native Phoenician, longtime Tempean and former U.S Representative Harry Mitchell. Fresh avocado is tossed with tomatoes, onion and just enough cilantro for a citrus bite ($3.50, $5, $6.20).

Your ‘regulars’ are critically important to the health of your business. Unless you operate an airport bar or a tourist-focused establishment, the regular guests who visit week in and week out are the backbone of your business.

So, how are you “looking after them?” How are you making sure that they feel appreciated and valued?

Many bar and restaurant operators have not really given this question much thought. But your bartenders probably have. If you don’t have a policy to acknowledge your regulars, your bartenders are almost certainly trying to do that by giving your regular customers heavily over–poured drinks.

And the odds are that this is benefiting your bartenders more than it’s benefiting your business.

Of course we need to look after our regulars. But letting our bartenders over-pour is ineffective – and far too costly. Here’s why:

Over-pouring becomes the new normal

Once you allow the bartenders to over-pour when they think it is warranted, the inevitable result is that almost everyone will get an over-poured drink. Maybe at first over-pours will just be for the regulars; but then the bartender's friends will benefit too; then employees from other bars; anyone who throws a buck into their tip jar; and, eventually, over-pouring just becomes habitual and almost every drink is routintely over-poured

It is impossible to manage

There is no way to track or control which guests are getting “a little extra.” Without this most basic information, your management team won't be able to see what is and isn't beneficial for your business.

It is too expensive

Every industry study has discovered that the average bar is losing 25% of their alcohol to over-pouring and lost sales. The Glenfiddich example (above) fits this pattern. Our client had priced his drinks based on a 1-1/2 ounce portion but the bartender poured over 2 ounces, representing a 26.8% over-pour. This level of over-pouring has the exact same effect as giving away one drink for every four sold. And no owner or general manager would comp at that rate to anyone.

Your regulars don't appreciate it

After awhile, this generosity is taken for granted or simply goes unnoticed. And even when they do notice, your guests don’t value it very highly, thinking only about the cost of the extra liquor, not your labor costs, rent, overhead, taxes and other costs: "they can afford it - a bottle of Jack Daniels only costs $25 and they're only giving me an extra 1/2 ounce".

So letting your bartenders over-pour your regulars is a poor policy. What should a bar operator do to make sure the regulars are happy? More on this next week.

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Great Read … I loved it!

I had some comments about this too.

“And the odds are that this is benefiting your bartenders more than it’s benefiting your business.”

The bartenders aren’t benefiting that much either because when they give away drinks gratis they are losing actual sales which in turn decreases gratuities - well honest gratuities. Secondly, overpouring drinks a customer will reach an alcohol threshold quicker and thus not purchase as many full priced drinks which again reduces their gratuities. Lastly, overpouring drinks can develop dram shop liquor liability issues.

“After a while, this generosity is taken for granted or simply goes unnoticed.”

I really like this statement because it is so true. Giving somebody their first drink becomes the new normal to them and therefore it is taken for granted and if they ever are not given this "normal" gratis drink then they become disgruntled with the establishment. It's been over a decade since I owned a nightclub but what I did was tell our bartenders if they need to give a drink anyway give away something like a kamikaze shot with well liquor that cost less than a quarter. That way the guest feels like they still got the freebie drink but then ponies up for the five dollar beer.

Most importantly, in my opinion, any alcohol that is given away gratis should be directed to the hospitality of the owner and not used as a tool for a bartender to increase gratuities and/or social status. It's not his or her booze inventory - it's the owners. And they should be the ones to benefit.

The Agent and Associate seated themselves as was directed by the Host. About 3 minutes afterwards the Agent and Associate were greeted by the Server. The server did not provide his name nor did he ask if this was the Agent and Associate’s first time visiting the restaurant. According to the receipt, the Server’s name was listed as “xxxx xxxxxx.”

The Server asked for the Agent and Associate’s drink order. The Agent stated that the Agent was considering a specific specialty cocktail. The Server quickly said “it’s horrible!” The Agent asked why he thought so and the Server responded “look at the ingredients.”

A drink order was placed. The Server returned with the beverages shortly after. Coasters were not used for any of the beverages.

The Server returned several times to ask if the Agent and Associate were ready to place a food order. The Agent and Associate were not ready to place a food order. The Server did not attempt to suggest any specific entrées or appetizers.

The Agent and Associate placed a food order. The Agent and Associate also asked what time the kitchen would close as the Agent and Associate wished to order a dessert. The Server stated that even after the kitchen closed he could still serve dessert. He explained that the dessert that the Agent and Associate wanted was “just microwaved” and that he could do that.

The salad to one of the entrées was served about 5 minutes after that.

The Server did not provide any utensils or napkins before the salad was served. The Agent and Associate attempted to request utensils but did not see the Server for several minutes.

A few minutes later the Busser brought out the entrées and the Agent and Associate requested utensils. Entrées were brought out 13 minutes after the order was placed.

Shortly after that the Server returned with utensils.

At this time there was something found to be wrong with one of the dishes (see Food and Beverage section). The Agent and Associate informed the Busser as he was walking by the area. The Busser informed the Server and the Server returned to address the problem.

The Server later returned with the Manager and he addressed the problem as well.

The Server checked back during the meal a couple of times.

The Server asked the Agent and Associate if they still wanted to order dessert. The Agent and Associate placed a dessert order.

No coffee or after dinner drinks were offered.

Dessert was served about 4 minutes after ordering. About 5 minutes after, the server returned to check on the Agent and Associate.

The server was friendly but really lacked professionalism.

At the end of the visit the Server personally shared that he was “normally not scheduled to work and that he would rather not be here today.”

The check was requested and processed in a timely manner. The dish with the problem was comped.

Craft breweries bubbling up in the West Valley

Those thirsting for local craft beer in the West Valley have reason for cheers: The West Valley is catching up to the rest of the Valley's — and the nation's — emerging craft brewery scene.

At least five new independent breweries opened in the area recently and more are to follow. So far, owners of the breweries said business is booming.

Neal Farrell opened Peoria Artisan Brewing in downtown Litchfield Park at the end of 2013. It was the first brewery to open west of Loop 101.

"The response has been amazing," said Farrell, who now serves nearly 400 patrons at his 23-seat taproom that includes a food menu. "People love having someone local and yet will travel for new breweries. We have had people come from Apache Junction."

Jared Dubina opened his European brew pub, Dubina Brewery, in Glendale last August. Last month, he served his European-style beer to about 3,300 patrons, most of them Millennials.

Avondale native Ryan Whitten, a home brewer for 11 years, said he is spending almost all his savings — $150,000, plus some funding from an investor — to create the 8-Bit Brewery. Whitten, a 31-year-old online marketer, said his hobby "turned to a passion that turned to an obsession" that's finally panning out.

Working together

The West Valley's brewery owners don't view each other as rivals. They are friends, they said. And they often brew collaboratively, experimenting with different brew techniques and helping each other.

"The brewing community is awesome. None of us look to each other as competition," Whitten said. "We're a very tight-knit community, and our competition is domestics like Bud Light, Miller Light and Coors."

The collaboration helps them promote their craft.

"Somebody who drinks craft beer gets really intrigued by it and wants to try other people's stuff," Dubina said.

Rob Fullmer, who heads the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild, said there are 3,000 breweries across the country, with about 60 in Arizona.

He estimates its value in the state at about $60 million in direct impact and $1.2 billion in indirect impact, creating about 4,000 jobs.

"For one brewer job, it's estimated there are 45 jobs outside the brewery that supports that job," Fullmer said.

The growing interest in home brewing has run parallel with people wanting to start breweries and explore new flavors, along with the natural food movement, he said. This has spurred interest across the state.

"But I think you're seeing them on the west side because of the landscape," he said. "You have a concentration of new development out there that's probably getting into maturity and some of the entertainment areas and shopping areas are being established, just like it was 10 years ago in the East Valley."

Fullmer said a lot of excitement is being generated by these neighborhood breweries.

"It just goes back to how we're maturing as a city and we're getting away from those big developments and we're wanting to meet our neighbors and we're wanting to do things in the community," he said. "To have a place somewhere where you can walk to or bike to that's close to your house, I think a lot of people want that."

Flavor, taste testing are key

Whitten said craft beer's popularity hinge on their unique flavors. "We're on smaller systems, so we can experiment, we can put stuff in a beer that hasn't been put into beer before," he said.

"I love making beer and I love watching people drink the beer that I've made," he said. "I've been to a couple of events and watched people's faces light up, and it's great."

Whitten's brewery incorporates a beer tasting room that can accommodate 46 people, with 14-foot ceilings and equally tall windows. It isn't exactly tucked away in a neighborhood, but he said it's a great location for a production brewery such as his.

"A production brewery's location is not quite as important as it would be for a restaurant," he said. "People don't normally stumble upon them. They've already had the beer at a bar and want to go to the brewery."

As 8-Bit's opening draws near, Whitten reflected on the roller coaster journey of creating his business. It was a major decision by him and his wife to fund it almost entirely by themselves, and the couple plans to work the brewery without hiring staff for now.

They are using a homemade keg washer to clean their 68 kegs, two at a time. Practice runs have been successful. Helped on by video game music, Whitten is making the first batches of the beer and nostalgia abounded in the brew house.

Bill amended to allow craft brewers to increase beer production

Arizona's craft breweries have compromised on a bill that will allow them to produce more beer than currently allowed in the state while maintaining their restaurants and bars.

The Arizona Craft Brewers Guild is pushing for a change in state law this year that would clarify that the nearly 60 microbreweries could maintain restaurants and bars after exceeding a certain amount of production. Senate Bill 1030 was held up last month in a committee when the bill's opponents raised questions about its legality.

The Guild then compromised on an amendment, which passed its first test Monday while advancing unanimously through the Senate committee where it had been held up. The bill's sponsor is Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City.

The new bill language will allow microbreweries to produce as much as 200,000 barrels of beer annually among multiple locations. The cap is 40,000 barrels today. A barrel is 31 gallons, or two full-size kegs.

"This is exactly what we asked for," said Rob Fullmer, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild.

Breweries need to know there is a path for them to continue growing if they are to continue investing in Arizona, he said.

Under the current law, brewers who make more than 40,000 barrels of beer a year are not allowed to run restaurants. That means the bigger breweries in the state, such as Four Peaks Brewing Co., can't keep expanding without selling or closing their restaurants, or changing the law.

Supporters hope the amended SB 1030 moves through a full vote of the Senate this week.

Under a three-tier system that dates back to the end of Prohibition, a company only can be a producer, distributor, or retailer of beer in the state, and can't do business as more than one of those.

In 1987, Arizona passed special rules to allow small brewers to make and sell beer at their restaurants and bars. That allows them to act as a producer and retailer, with no distributor.

Arizona brewers making less than 40,000 barrels of beer a year get special privileges, such as being allowed to "self-distribute" beer to a second location themselves without a distributor. Current law also allows them to self-distribute 3,000 barrels of beer a year to other retailers.

Under the amended bill, a brewer would have to give up those self-distribution rights once it exceeds 40,000 barrels, except for its on-site retail sales. Brewers also could not expand to any new retail locations once exceeding 40,000 barrels.

"We don't know of any opposition at all," Fullmer said of the amended bill.

The three companies that originally opposed SB 1030 approve of the amendments, Fullmer said. Those companies were Alliance Beverage Distributing, Southern Wine and Spirits and Young's Market. Collectively, the opponents refer to themselves as the Arizona Wine and Spirits Association.

After a few days, even spring-training enthusiasts may tire of the game-day hot dog and soda ritual. If this applies to you, there are nearby ballpark options beyond the drive-through joints and convenience-store sandwiches.

Here are 12 restaurants located within 3 miles of a southeast Valley ballpark to consider for pre- and post-game drinks and eats.

Near Tempe Diablo Stadium

Where: 2200 W. Alameda Drive, Tempe.

• Market Cafe at the Buttes

Get up a little early and fill up on the breakfast buffet or grab a casual sit-down lunch in the shadow of the ballpark at the Buttes, a Marriott Resort. Its proximity to the stadium has earned the resort the unofficial designation of Angels nation East.

This hole-in-the-wall offers authentic Coney dogs — the distinct snap with each bite resulting from the all-natural casing is proof — slathered with chili, onions and mustard. Angus beef patties will satiate burger lovers and Better Made Chips and Fagyo Pop offer a taste of home for natives.

Skip breakfast and head to this popular barbecue joint that has made a big splash with its Central Texas-style brisket and sausage. Round out your plate with a side of coleslaw or jalapeño Cheddar grits and save room for the Bekke's Secret Pecan Pie. Closing time is 4 p.m., but they tend to sell out before then, so it's best to get there when the doors open at 11 a.m.

Celebrate a win over a pizza or drown your sorrows of defeat over happy-hour pints at this neighborhood hangout. Choose from dozens of beers on tap and hearty pub-food plates like the Big Freaking Nacho, an intimidating mound of light-fried chips covered with mozzarella, pepperoni and sausage. Or the Moose Drool Burger topped with jalapeño cream cheese and crispy onion rings.

Pick wings or tenders and go sweet and savory with the honey BBQ sauce, lose a dare and take your chances with the scorching ghost pepper-based bath. Or skip the mess and choose from the half-dozen dry rubs. On weekdays, seven dishes are available for $7 each.

Heed a craving for diverse comfort food at this nostalgic eatery, which features daily specials, breakfast on Sundays and hearty plates that range from carne adovada and chimichangas to spicy chicken pizza and green-chile lobster dip. Wash it all down with one of the specialty margaritas or sipping tequilas.

Cubs fans unite here for eats, drinks and general camaraderie — win or lose. For the spring-training season, breakfast is served at 9 a.m. and a free shuttle takes fans to and from Sloan Park. However, its proximity to Hohokam makes Diamond's an easy stop for Oakland A's fans as well; and the happy hour from 1-7 p.m. daily can be enjoyed by all.

Bring the gang to this family-owned pizzeria, which uses an original recipe that dates to the 1930s to craft a flaky crust and tangy sauce as the base for its pies. Lunch-combo specials, pasta and sandwiches are also on the versatile menu.

This is the original location of the Arizona pizza chain that prides itself on Chicago-style pizzas and calzones. The Super Six aims to please a crowd with Italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, red and green bell peppers and mozzarella. Throughout March, guests who bring in a ticket stub from any March spring-training game will receive a free appetizer (one per party).

You don't have to be a Yankees or Mets fan to appreciate the nearly never-ending options at this New York-style delicatessen, restaurant and bakery. A buy-one-burger, get-one-free special runs March 3-31 (except March 17). That means diners can buy one 1/2-pound premium Angus beef burger and get one of equal or lesser value free with the purchase of two beverages. There are six burger styles to choose from, and burgers can be customized with other toppings at an additional cost.

Located minutes away in the Tempe Marketplace, Thirsty Lion has a wrap-around patio that takes advantage of ideal temps and provides people-watching prospects. Grab a quick bite before the game or unwind with a meal and happy-hour drinks, including $4 featured pints, house margaritas, well drinks and select wine. Pair these with menu items such as crab and seafood cakes, pulled pork sliders and grilled pear and prosciutto flatbread, ranging from $3.95-$5.95.

Create a from-scratch treat at this inventive DIY dessert shop. Thanks to a state-of-the-art liquid nitrogen machine, hundreds of ice cream, yogurt and sorbet flavor combinations are possible and frozen while you wait and watch. From March 1-April 1, a buy-one- dessert, get-one-free deal is offered to customers who show a spring-training ticket stub from any game. Ticket stub must be from the current spring-training season and is good for a one-time use. Limit one per customer per visit.

Hospitality Checkpoint is a bartender theft detection spotter service company specializing in bartender theft detection and deterrents for the hospitality industry. Hospitality Checkpoint spots for bartender theft and evaluates service staff standards. We have performed integrity reports for restaurants, bars, clubs, and resorts throughout the country. Hospitality Checkpoint is in touch with the trends and norms of the vibrant dining, bar and hospitality industry. We expect quality reports and compensate accordingly. Good writing skills are a must at Hospitality Checkpoint.

Hospitality Checkpoint Agents are very carefully selected and chosen for the unique skills necessary to evaluate at the level expected. Meticulous screening and training are the norm, and they are professionals who understand the importance of integrity and what proper customer service means to the success of a bar or restaurant. Moreover, all of our agents must possess knowledge and years of experience in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and resorts customer service industries in order to properly evaluate for theft and service concerns.

Please take a moment to view sample reports at our Hospitality Checkpoint BARTENDER SPOTTER SERVICES website www.HospitalityCheckpoint.com and see if you have what it takes to be a Hospitality Checkpoint Bar Spotter Service Agent. These are part time contracted positions and you can apply on-line at the website hyperlink APPLY NOW . Our Bartender Theft Blog can be viewed at: BARTHEFT.com Please follow the on-line process described -- No inquiry telephone calls please.

It’s always been my contention that three aspects are essential for a successful restaurant operation 1. Great food & beverage offerings 2. Ambiance & setting 3. Service What I have found in my business of Hospitality Evaluating is that many new operators have great ideas, concepts and food. They fuel that with optimism and gumption. However, many fail to recognize the all-important service aspect being an essential catalyst to either success or failure. The staff is the representative of the concept and if the delivery is faulty then the vision is marred. I have discovered a propensity for many chef driven concepts, because their focus on the artisan part of their concept, fail to adequately address honing the front of house staff and even though their product may be flawless if it’s delivery isn’t, then that’s what many will strike as its label can be negative. In my opinion, it’s extremely important to have the service aspect down from the launch as you only get a first impression once. And if flawed Yelp! service reviews begin popping up, the up-hill battle to establish a granite foundation and a positive quality brand just get that much steeper.

A new report from the National Restaurant Association predicts Arizona's restaurant industry will lead the rest of the country in growth this year and will continue to do so for at least the next 10 years.

The report ranked Arizona first in the nation for anticipated restaurant sales growth in 2015 and first in job growth through 2025.

The report used economic indicators like total employment in the restaurant industry, disposable personal income and population to estimate new jobs and sales in the coming years.

This is the second consecutive year the group has projected Arizona would lead the nation in sales growth.

"If we go back to last year, we can tell Arizona is doing something right," said Chianne Hewer, spokeswoman for the Arizona Restaurant Association. "Our restaurants have seen growth in the flexibility in new culinary concepts and talent."

Hewer said major events during the state's cooler months play an important role in Arizona's growth. She noted that annual events like spring training and the Waste Management Phoenix Open attract hundreds of thousands of people, and special larger events, like the Super Bowl, put some restaurants in the spotlight.

Andrew Fritz, who owns some Valley restaurants, said the Super Bowl definitely has an impact.

"A lot of people think that if you miss the Super Bowl, then you are missing out on a significant opportunity to generate revenue," Fritz said. "Overall, I think this time of year in Arizona is extremely strong. March and spring training is our biggest opportunity to generate revenue, and we are forecasting to see that again regardless of having the Super Bowl here."

Fritz said Arizona's growth isn't a total surprise.

With a favorable environment for opening a business, like fewer labor restrictions and lower taxes, he said the state makes it easy to open a restaurant.

"I like Arizona," Fritz said. "I like the economic climate here. I know I can open up the door 365 days a year. It gets really hot in the summer, but it is predictable."

Fritz and his partners at Phoenix-based In Good Spirits opened their first restaurant, Citizen Public House, in 2011, and started their second concept, The Gladly, in 2013.

"The recession provided a unique kind of phenomenon where people felt more comfortable spending their money in restaurants," he said. "Restaurants tended to be the first to come out of the recession. For a family of four, it's a lot cheaper to go out to dinner and have an entertaining, engaging family experience centered around food than, say, go to a baseball game or a basketball game."

As the economy continues to improve, the National Restaurant Association estimated that Arizona would add as many as 65,000 new food-services jobs.

However, succeeding in the competitive industry is difficult even when it's growing, Hewer said.

"As rewarding and amazing as the restaurant industry is, it is hard work," Hewer said. "It is not a 9-to-5 job and is very labor intensive."

By the Numbers

The National Restaurant Association's 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast included several estimates for the industry. It ranked Arizona as first in the nation for sales growth in 2015, followed by Florida, North Dakota, North Dakota and Texas. Other estimates for Arizona included:

Laurie Zabawa says she'd been working at a Hilton Garden Inn in Bozeman, Montana, for seven years when the owners outsourced the management of the hotel in 2012. For Zabawa, the hotel's banquet manager, this meant that any parties that took place in the hotel would now be overseen by an outside firm, an Ohio-based company called Gateway Hospitality Group.

The banquet workers whom Zabawa oversaw weren't being let go, so the service-industry lifer says she took the change in stride -- that is, until Gateway explained the new policy on gratuities.

By tradition, when clients of the hotel ran up banquet tabs, they'd be subject to an automatic gratuity of 18 to 20 percent. That money was then distributed among the waiters, bartenders and other food workers who handled the event, according to Zabawa. For workers earning close to minimum wage, these tips could equal half their base pay, and they were essential to making a living.

But according to Zabawa and a lawsuit she's filed in Montana state court, after Gateway took over, the automatic gratuity was renamed a "service" or "setup" fee, and the house stopped distributing that money to staff. Zabawa claims that workers were told to sign papers accepting a new flat wage that didn't include gratuities. Most workers were given a nominal raise of about $1 per hour, but it didn't come close to making up for the lost tips, she says.

As banquet manager, Zabawa says she was tasked with implementing the new policy.

"It was awful," Zabawa, 50, told The Huffington Post. "Just imagine working there with those people for years. They were my family. It was horrible to go through, and I had no options."

Zabawa claims she was pressured to quit her job after telling management she believed the new policy violated Montana wage laws. She is suing over what she deems wrongful termination, and she's asked the court to declare the hotel's use of service fees illegal.

Hilton and the hotel's operator, Bozeman Lodging Investors, did not respond to requests for comment about Zabawa's allegations. Bob Voelker, Gateway's CEO and a Hilton veteran, told HuffPost he would not comment on ongoing litigation. According to the company's website, Gateway has contracts with at least 17 Hilton-brand properties in four states.

In the service industry, it's become fairly common for the house to present customers with a charge that's implied to be a tip for the workers -- only to turn around and keep that money for itself. Such add-on costs often come in the guise of a "service" fee, and the charge tends to match what most of us would associate with a typical gratuity.

For businesses, these fees often function as a surreptitious price increase, allowing them to charge customers more while maintaining the same base price. Though these fees don't go to workers, people like Zabawa believe their presence makes customers assume that the bartenders, servers and others who rely on tips have somehow been covered.

"I had employees who quit," Zabawa said. "They just weren't willing to work there anymore."

Zabawa's employees weren't the only workers feeling burned by such fees. In 2010, catering employees who worked the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York sued the concessions company there for allegedly pocketing a 21 percent service fee that was tacked onto customers' bills. The workers, who also claimed they were shorted on overtime pay, argued that the service fee was portrayed as a gratuity. The class-action lawsuit was settled in 2013 for $600,000.

As HuffPost reported in 2011, beer and hot dog vendors at New York's Yankee Stadium claimed they were victims of a similar scheme. The stadium's concessionaire, Legends Hospitality, was attaching a 20 percent service fee to the drink and food orders in the stadium's luxury boxes, but the vendors who sold those orders were only taking in 4 to 6 percent in commission. According to a lawsuit filed by the vendors, the remainder of that 20 percent fee was going to Legends, which, at the time, was jointly owned by the New York Yankees, the Dallas Cowboys and the investment bank Goldman Sachs. (After it was sued, Legends made clear on its menus that only a small portion of the fee went to servers.)

The practice has even made its way into the pizza delivery business. As HuffPost reported last year, Pizza Hut, Papa John's and Domino's now commonly tack nominal "delivery fees" onto the tabs of delivery orders. Those fees, which are usually between $1.50 and $3 a pop, do not go to the drivers, even though many customers forego a driver tip believing that they do. Many career drivers told HuffPost they believe the practice has helped depress wages in their field.

One former catering worker at the U.S. Open said the use of service fees not only hurts workers' paychecks, but also creates confusion and tension among clients.

"In this industry, it happens a lot. A client will have the assumption that the service fee is indicative of some type of gratuity going to the employee," said the worker, who asked to remain anonymous due to the litigation. "They're feeling that they're already being forced to pay a tip. A strange sort of animosity can build up between the client and the server."

Several states have recognized the problems stemming from service fees and tried to address them in their own ways, with laws now on the books in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New York and Washington state.

In Hawaii, any hotel or restaurant that tacks on a service fee is required to distribute that fee in full to employees. A similar statute in Massachusetts applies the same rule to the service industry at large, while also barring management from sharing in employee tip pools. In Washington state, service fees may be used, but receipts must show clearly how much of the fee goes to employees.

Recently, the hotel workers' union Unite Here has worked to insert language into local wage laws to ensure that service fees stay with workers. According to the minimum wage ordinance passed last year in Los Angeles, which established a $15 wage floor for large hotels in the city, any such fee belongs to the workforce, regardless of what management chooses to call it -- be it a "service charge," a "delivery charge" or a "porterage" fee, to name a few examples.

The Montana law, which would cover Zabawa's hotel, defines a service fee as "an arbitrary fixed charge added to the customer's bill by an employer in lieu of a tip." According to state code, such a fee "must be distributed directly to the nonmanagement employee preparing or serving the food or beverage or to any other employee involved in related services."

"Defendants admit they do not provide the 20% arbitrary fee to the nonmanagement staff members," Zabawa's lawyer, Jason Armstrong, wrote in a court filing, referring to Gateway and Bozeman Lodging Investors. "The question then becomes one of law; is the policy legal or not under the law?"

According to Zabawa, the hotel lost many of its servers under the new gratuity policy, since for them it effectively translated to a pay cut. Zabawa said she was simply instructed to hire new employees.

After workers lost their tips, one of the servers brought the language of the Montana statute to Zabawa, she claims in her lawsuit. Zabawa, in turn, took the server's concerns to a manager for Gateway. Zabawa alleges in her suit that she was then instructed to "write up" the "problem employee" and fire her. Zabawa says she refused.

Zabawa says she then lost her position as banquet manager and was switched to a sales job. In her lawsuit, she argues that leaving "was the only reasonable alternative" at that point. Under Montana law, such a voluntary termination could still be considered wrongful discharge if the employer created an intolerable situation.

After eight years at the hotel, Zabawa wound up working part-time at Pier 1 Imports before finding a new job in banquet work. Her income has taken a sharp drop, she says, but that's something she's managed to live with.

"I go to sleep at night knowing that I'm not apologizing [to my employees] and that I'm not sorry every day," she said.